House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries apparently thinks taking a stand for federal employees and service members means calling a bill that does exactly that, a “political ploy.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune placed the Shutdown Fairness Act on the calendar, and it should come up for a vote as the shutdown enters its fourth week. The measure would provide backpay and ongoing wages to military servicemembers and essential federal workers who have not been furloughed. Seems like something Democrats should jump on because they claim to support our troops and federal workers. But a reporter asked him whether he would encourage his Democratic colleagues to support the legislation, Jeffries dismissed the bill as inadequate.
"It's my understanding that that is not a comprehensive bill that actually is designed to reopen the government, while at the same time, addressing the issues that need to be confronted on behalf of the American people, which include lowering the high cost of living and decisively addressing the Republican healthcare crisis," Jeffries said. The minority leader's response signals that Democrats remain dug in on their demands for a broader package that includes extensions of Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
Jeffries went further, characterizing the Republican bill as nothing more than political theater designed to give President Trump arbitrary power over federal workers. "So it's not legislation that I support because it appears to be more like a political ploy to pick and choose, giving Donald Trump discretion which employees should be compensated and which employees should not be compensated," he stated. The Democratic leader's remarks reflect his party's growing frustration with what it views as piecemeal Republican efforts to address the shutdown while avoiding the core disputes over healthcare policy that triggered the impasse in the first place.
Related: This Could Be the Worst News for Democrats About the Shutdown
Jeffries ended his response by saying again the Democratic stance: No federal workers should get paid if others don't. "All employees should be compensated, and that will happen when we reopen the government," Jeffries declared.
His comments came as the shutdown entered its 21st day with no clear path to resolution, as Senate Republicans and Democrats have failed to advance funding bills eleven separate times. House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that he would bring the Shutdown Fairness Act up for a vote in the House if it passes the Senate, but Jeffries' opposition suggests that the legislation would face significant obstacles even if it clears the upper chamber.
🚨WATCH: Jeffries tells @AndiNapier that he does NOT support legislation that the Senate is expected to vote on this week to pay federal employees and service members calling, it a "political ploy." pic.twitter.com/y0D9eQZhuE
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 20, 2025
That’s rich, coming from a party that never misses a chance to clutch its pearls over workers that a shutdown hurts. The proposal is simple: keep paychecks flowing for federal employees and troops while Congress bickers. Republicans call it common sense: Troops shouldn’t be pawns in political games.
Yet the party of “the people” balks when it has the opportunity to support troops and federal workers because it will cost it leverage. Democrats are putting politics above lives, using the very Americans they claim to champion as props to protect their own power. Washington dysfunction, served with a side of faux principle.
The Schumer Shutdown is still ongoing, and polls are now showing Americans are increasingly blaming the Democrats for this mess, but we can’t let them spin their way out of it.
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